Chocolate chia pudding

Are you looking for a recipe that you can whizz up in no time for a healthy dessert?
Do you want a tasty mid-afternoon snack without the sugar slump?
Do you need it to be dairy free or gluten free? What about vegetarian or vegan?

Well you have definitely come to the right place.
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This chocolate chia pudding ticks all of the above boxes. Just in case that wasn’t enough to convince you to give it a try, here are some of the nutritional benefits too…

This dessert contains no added sugar. It is sweetened with whole dates and (optional) cherries. The recipe is designed for four people so equals out at a date per person. This means it’s not one of those ‘healthy’ desserts that appear healthy because the sugar is from natural ingredients but actually are still high in sugar.

It has a decent hit of cocoa so you are going to get some magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron. Cocoa is also a good source of antioxidants.

Chia seeds are a source of complete protein. This means they contain all of the nine essential amino acids that our body needs from food to help make proteins in the body. (Although vegetarians and vegans should note that you would need to eat A LOT of chia to meet your protein requirements so don’t forget to eat a good range of plant proteins every day).

Chia seeds are high in calcium and are a source of omega 3 which is important for cardiovascular health as well as healthy skin, hair and nails.

​Maybe you have tried chia pudding before and not been a fan of the gloopy texture? Truth is I’m not a fan of regular chia pudding myself but this chocolate version is blended and that gives it a whole different flavour and texture.

Before I share my favourite version of chocolate chia pudding first up I want to acknowledge the fantastic Angela Liddon. I first discovered chocolate chia pudding on the Oh She Glows website. Her site is packed full of brilliant recipes – do check it out if you get chance. ​

​So, on to the recipe ….

Ingredients
For the chocolate chia pudding:

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• ½ cup frozen pitted cherries (optional – you could replace with another date)
• 4 medjool dates
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt 

For the dessert:

• 4 tbsp granola of choice (my buckwheat granola recipe is super easy – you can find it here)
• 4 tbsp kefir of coconut yoghurt
• Choice of berries (I used a mix of freeze dried raspberries and strawberries here)
• Cacao nibs

Blend all of the chocolate chia pudding ingredients together until completely smooth. This can be chilled in the fridge at this point and will keep 2 – 3 days. If you are not wanting to pretty this up and try it as a dessert you can have the pudding on it’s own or add a tablespoon or two to a smoothie. If you are wanting to recreate the full dessert then read on ….
 

• Take four small glasses, ramekin dishes, teacups or other small bowl.
• Put about a tablespoon of granola in the bottom of each.
• Cover with 1/8 of the chia pudding
• Add in a layer of berries
• Top with 1 tablespoon of kefir or coconut yoghurt
• Share the remaining chocolate pudding between the four glasses
• Top with cacao nibs and remaining berries

​Enjoy!